How to Get Rid of Aphids

The strong early growth has really helped my chilli plants this year, so despite some really awful weather over the last few weeks, they are still flowering and fruiting earlier than normal. It’s still warm in my greenhouse and I’ve been spending a fair bit of time in there, sometimes just looking excitedly at my developing pods. I unfortunately have some other little visitors in the form of aphids.

They are a bit of a nightmare as they will destroy greenhouse plants if left unchecked and they are now fairly pesticide resistant. Permethrin is about the only pesticide that really successfully kills off aphids and their larva but it’s far too toxic for plants that grow edibles (and yes its absorbed into plants and pods so don’t even think about it).

Over the years I have tried just about everything to deal with aphid infestations from bug sprays to diatomaceous earth, from soapy water to near oil, from garlic water spray to Epsom salts.

Many of these methods will successfully get rid of some of the aphids, but rarely their larva or their eggs which means the infestation just keeps coming back. I despise them.

This chilli plant is infested with aphids

Check the underside of leaves for eggs

Aphids are best dealt with sooner rather than later so I always hang a few yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse.

These will tell you the minute you have any pests in your greenhouse and actually catch a surprising number of them.

Another tell tale sign you have aphids is the presence of ants, which farm the aphids and will keep bringing more onto your plants.

My first job is to take the plants outside one by one, tip them on their side to expose the underside of leaves and spray them off with a fairly high pressured hose.

The leaves seem sticky but actually aphids, larva and eggs wash off very easily. You can actually keep very good control over aphids doing this weekly but it becomes more difficult as plants get bigger.

Next, I have ordered in some biological controls from www.defenders.co.uk, a specialist Aphid Mix of Aphidius and Aphidolotes which are tiny parasitic wasps that lay their eggs into and consume aphids.

They are surprisingly effective in a small greenhouse and will also breed and keep you pest problem in check all season. Ladybirds will also do a good job, if you can find enough. My order will be here in a few days and they’ll be released onto my newly washed plants.

Unlike my chillies, revenge is a dish best served cold.